A Man to be Loved
by nasn
Summary: We've learned a lot about Forrest Gump, but what about our favorite Lieutenant, Dan Taylor? This story follows Lt. Dan's life starting with the war in Vietnam. Dan's fiance, Susan is not in this series Lt. Dan Taylor/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Vietnam. Not a place that Lieutenant Dan Taylor would have visited normally, but, seeing as it was his duty, his destiny to be a part of this war he was just going to have to put up with it. It wasn't that bad of a place; his platoon seemed to be in pretty high spirits, even with a war hanging over their heads. Music was playing in the background; some of his men were playing a game of football. The smell of steak was filling his nostrils, and a small smile came to Dan's face.

"Yo, Lieutenant Dan, you want a steak?"

Dan turned around and looked at the young man cooking up said steaks. He remembered this man coming in for the first time. That had been about six months ago. This kid, no more than nineteen had been a blubbering mess. That was until Dan sat him down and talked to him, asked him why he'd come here in the first place. Drafted, he said. Kids name was Miles Darwin, but they usually called him 'Kid' as he was the youngest one here.

"Yeah, sure kid. You got one on there that's well done?" He asked.

"Anything for you, Lieutenant. It'll take about five more minutes." He grinned.

Dan clapped him on the back and walked on, checking up on his men. The most important thing was to make sure they were happy when they weren't working, and that he had a good relationship with them. They didn't need someone to coddle them, no, but they didn't need some hard-assed Marine type with a stick up his ass. No, they were the Army; they were better than the Marines. And his platoon was going to win this war once and for all.

*

"Get out of here God Damn it! Go, run!" Dan shouted at his men.

Forrest Gump was beside him, helmet gone and dumb look on his face. Dan growled and grabbed his vest.

"Run you idiot! Run!" He yelled, giving him a push.

His heart was hammering in his chest, and he was scared. But if he was going to die in the field, then he was going to do so with honor, not crying for his Mother like some half-assed Marine. With a final deep breath, Dan pushed himself off of the ground and started running. He was half way through the thickening trees and bushes, and he thought he was in the clear. Not quite, it seemed. One minute he was running, the next he was on the ground, pain shooting through his legs. To his right was Miles, the kid. Dead. Dan grit his teeth. He was just a fucking kid!

Reaching over, he grabbed the pack off the kids back, and called in for backup. IF he was going to die, then so were those assholes that had attacked his platoon and killed three quarters of them. Nuke the fuckers. That was the plan.

*

He would have been more than happy to have died in the field. But no. That damn idiot Forrest Gump just had to have gone and saved his life. And what was worse? He'd gotten himself a bed right next to his good ole pal. He would have been fine if those sons of bitches called Doctors hadn't cut off his legs. Bastards. Depressed wasn't even the half of it.

After about the seventh day being housed up in the hospital, and after having his little 'talk' with Forrest, Lieutenant Dan had been set up in a bed, watching on and off as Gump played ping pong… all by his lonesome.

"You're not that bad at this, Gump." He muttered.

Forrest grabbed the ball mid-air and put it down on the table, turning to look at his Lieutenant. This was the first time he'd spoken to him in three days!

"Thank you, Lieutenant Dan. Would you like to play with me?" He asked.

"No. You go on… I'll just watch." He smiled falsely.

Two days after that he'd been sent home… as a cripple, a legless freak.

*

"Daniel Taylor?"

Lieutenant Dan look sighed, annoyed. He had been moved to a vet hospital near his birthplace, and he'd been getting visits from different physiotherapists every damn day. Could have been because not one of them could put up with his attitude. They were mostly young men, who'd never seen a day of war. Momma's boys, that's what Dan referred to them as. But this one… well, she was no man that was for sure. His eyes ran over her, taking in her appearance. She had long, Auburn hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were a soft blue, framed by well cared for eyebrows. High cheekbones and a slender jaw line made her one of the most gorgeous gals he'd seen in a long time. Her slim frame put her at five foot six, but the white nurses gown she wore made her long legs look even longer.

When his eyes reached her face again, he could se the amused smile she was fighting hard against.

"You can call me Dan if you want. Most people do." He nodded.

She walked into his room and sat on the chair by his bed.

"Well, Dan it is then. My name is Eileen McDermott, and I'm going to help you to get back on your- um…" She paused.

"It's okay, you can say it. You're gonna help me get back on my feet. 'Cept I don't seem to have those anymore, do I?" He snarked.

Eileen's cheeks colored mildly and she ducked her head.

"I'm sorry, Dan. But, I do plan on helping you any way I can. You'll still have to exercise, keep your legs healthy. And we'll get you set up with a wheelchair until you're ready to be fitted for prosthetics." She explained.

Dan rolled his eyes.

"Look, that all sounds fine and dandy, but I'm fine by myself. I don't need your help, and I don't need your pity." He explained.

"With all due respect, _Mr. Taylor_ you're not going to get rid of me that easily. I'll be coming to see you every day for an hour, helping you learn how to cope on your own whether you like it or not. I'm not like any other physiotherapist you've had or you'll ever have. I'm not going to spoon feed you; I don't think you'd put up with it if I tried." She said haughtily.

And, for the first time since that fateful day, Lieutenant Dan smiled a true smile.

"What a relief."

"Oh. I, I thought you were going to fight me more." She said, shocked.

Dan smiled.

"I'm not a complete hard ass. I can be nice, and I know when to back down."

Eileen smiled and nodded. She had read the Lieutenant's file, given to her by her boss. He had warned her that he would be a hard man to get along with, but when she looked into his eyes, she knew that wasn't going to be the case. He just needed someone who would treat him like a regular person. And she intended on being that person.

*

True to her word, Eileen was in every day with Dan, helping him learn how to get from his bed to the wheelchair, how to maneuver around things in his wheelchair, among other things. So far they hadn't had to deal with how he was going to use the bathroom without pissing in a pan.

A knock on his door tore Dan away from his solitaire game, and he smiled up when Eileen came in.

"Hi Dan. How are you doing today?" She asked.

"I'm doing good, Eileen. How are you?" He asked.

"Oh, fine thank you. I have a feeling though, that you're not going to feel so happy with me at the end of this week." She said, sitting on the chair.

"Oh? Why's that?" He asked.

"I think you know why." She said.

Dan sighed, feeling a blush starting to rise out from beneath the collar of his shirt.

"Isn't there someone else who can help me with that stuff? A man, maybe?" He asked.

Eileen sighed and moved to sit on the edge of his bed.

"Dan, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. These are things that you have to know how to do, especially on your own. God forbid if you were by yourself and you fell, or hurt yourself… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew that you had gotten hurt." He admitted.

Dan smiled at Eileen, and shook his head.

"I won't have to take anything off, will I?" He asked.

"No, you can keep everything on. So how about it? Let's give this a go." She grinned.

Dan sighed, but nodded. They'd give this a go, as she said. Eileen stepped back and waited until Dan had moved himself into his wheelchair before going into the bathroom attached to his room. Dan looked up at her, as if to say 'now what?'

"When you move into, wherever you're going to bed, you'll have to make sure that there will be a handle or something near everything, so you can help yourself move. The bathtub is going to be the easy part." She said.

"Yeah, the toilet's gonna give me hell." He muttered.

Eileen smiled at him, and he smiled back. As embarrassing as this whole situation was, Dan felt a lot better knowing that Eileen was honestly trying to help him, and not just make him feel retarded.

~T.B.C.~


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Eileen worked with Dan for the year that he was in the vet hospital, putting up with his stubbornness, his bouts of swearing, his small temper tantrums, everything. And when he was mean to her, she was mean right back. But she never insulted him, not once. One thing that amazed Dan was that she never looked down on him, or treated him like he was less of a person because he didn't have any legs. He liked that.

"Good afternoon, Dan." She greeted him.

"Hi there Eileen. I didn't know you were coming to see me today… it's Sunday, your day off." He said.

Eileen walked into the room and sat on the edge of his bed, not looking at him, instead choosing to closely study her fingernails. She wasn't wearing her usual nurse garb, instead wearing a pleated skirt and a nice blue blouse. He knew this wasn't an official business visit.

"What's going on, Eileen?" He asked.

"I can't be your therapist anymore." She sighed.

"What? Why? We work great together. Nobody else is gonna be able to put up with me, you know that." He growled.

Eileen laughed softly, and looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes.

"Dan, I've taught you everything you need to know. And, my boss tells me that you're not ready for prosthetics, so, you really don't need me anymore. Besides… even if you did still need physiotherapy… I couldn't be your therapist." She explained.

Dan frowned at her, and reached for her hand. During their time together they'd both flirted back and forth; it was the only way to get through the stress of most of the situations – "Come on, Dan. I'm sure while you were serving you could have bench pressed at least two hundred pounds, let's put those guns to work" and so forth. And he'd flirted with her of course. He was a Taylor, and the men in the Taylor family were well known flirts. He'd always asked how a pretty young gal like herself had gotten herself into this line of work, and not become a teacher or why she hadn't made some guy lucky.

"Eileen… help me understand. What happened?" He asked.

"My boss as I've told you is high strung. He's threatening to let me go, because of my relationship with you. He said we're getting too close. And I have to agree. I've, never enjoyed helping any of my patients as much as I've enjoyed helping you. I mean I look forward to every day I get to see you." She admitted.

Dan smiled at her, and she smiled back, casting her gaze downward. Dan reached out and tipped her chin up, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers in a chaste kiss.

"I don't see that there's anything wrong with what he have… or could have." He said quietly.

Eileen pulled back, and Dan saw that the tears had finally spilled down over her cheeks. She wiped them away with the backs of her fingers, and grabbed a tissue from her pocket.

"I'm sorry, Dan. This job is all I have." She whispered.

"It doesn't have to be." He offered.

"Dan you and I both know that nobody is going to hire you. You don't have any legs." She said.

Dan's jaw clenched, and he dropped her hand as if he'd been burnt. So that's what she thought huh? Let's just fuck with the poor handicapped freak of nature. Who was he kidding, she didn't love him, how could she? He didn't have any God damn legs for Christ's sake!

"Dan, I-I didn't mean it like that." She said suddenly.

"Sure you didn't. Slip of the tongue, is that it? You're right, Eileen. You'd better go." He said, turning his face from her.

She didn't try to say anything else, didn't try to help him in any way. She got up and left the room, sniffing and snuffling all the way out of the building. Little did Dan know that she'd left her heart in that room, while his lay broken in his chest.

*

Dan hadn't seen or heard from Eileen McDermott until 1975. By that time, the BubbaGump shrimping company had been in full speed, making both he and Forrest extremely wealthy. But all the money in the world couldn't cure Dan's broken heart. He'd made his peace with Jesus, yes. But every night, he was constantly thinking about that lovely young woman that had helped him overcome so much. Forrest had tried to talk to Dan about it once, and he had snapped at him, of course. Damn near brought the other man to tears. And he'd hated himself for it.

Four months after Forrest's mother had died, and he'd stopped actually being on the shrimping boat was when Dan and Eileen were reunited. It was a company party, celebrating the buying of their one hundredth boat.

"Dan! Dan, come on over here, I want to introduce you to my niece." Harold had called.

Harold was the Captain of Jenny 2, and he and Dan had become fast friends. The man was so cheery; it damn near affected everyone around him. It made everyone's mood just lighten up.

Dan wheeled himself over to where Harold sat, and his eyes went wide at the beautiful gal sitting next to him.

"Dan, this is my niece-"

"Eileen. Eileen McDermott. I'll be damned." Dan said, amazed.

Eileen looked up at the voice, and she smiled happily.

"Hello, Dan." She smiled.

He was lost in that smile, wanted nothing more than to have gone over to her and kissed her like he did that last day he'd seen her… but then he remembered what she'd said to him, and he'd shut those emotions down right away. Not that it went unnoticed to her. The smile was wiped from her face, and once again she felt saddened.

"Hello, Eileen."

"You two know each other? From where?" Harold asked, amazed.

"I um, I was Dan's Physiotherapist when he first got home from Vietnam." She explained.

"Oh! Well then, I'll leave you two to catch up." He beamed.

Dan sighed and rubbed his brow. He couldn't help but notice how Eileen sat a little straighter now that they were alone… or as alone as they could be. The crowd was a little noisy, and they weren't doing much talking. Eileen didn't know what to say and Dan didn't want to talk to her. If there was one thing he was good at doing, it was holding a grudge.

"Well, I've got to be going. Got a long haul tomorrow. Nice seeing you." He rushed, wheeling out of the bar.

"Dan, wait!" She called.

But he kept going. Out the door, and down the street to the boat he now called home. Where he could try to heal his broken heart in privacy. He was almost there too (wheeling yourself in a wheelchair made your arms pretty damn strong) until someone put their hand on the back of his chair and spun him around. One thing he hated about these damn contraptions.

"Dan, please. I want to talk to you." Eileen said.

"Yeah, and what did you want to say? Mock me about being a cripple again? No thanks." He spat.

"You stupid man! You don't get it, do you? I didn't mean it like that back then and I don't mean it like that now!" She exclaimed.

"Oh yeah? And just what didn't you mean? Care to share, doll?" He accused.

Eileen threw up her hands in frustration and leaned down, wrapping her fingers into Dan's long messy hair and kissing him longingly.

"I love you, you stupid bastard. And what I meant those ten years ago, was that, if I left my job, let myself get fired or quit to be with you… start a family or whatever, we wouldn't have a way to support ourselves." She said softly.

Dan looked into her eyes, reaching his hand out to run his fingers through her hair, which was just as long, but no longer kept up in a ponytail. He wet his dry lips, cleared his throat.

"Well, we wouldn't have to worry about money now, would we?" He smirked.

Eileen laughed, tucking her hair behind one ear.

"You know, you have all this money… yet you can't afford a hair cut? What happened to the sharp looking Army Lieutenant I met all those years ago?" She laughed softly.

Dan laughed with her, looking at his own hair.

"I haven't much felt like cutting it. But now that you mention it… would you like to accompany me to the barber?" He asked.

Eileen laughed and kissed him again before straightening up. She stood beside him, grin still on her face.

"I'd love to."

*

She couldn't stop running her fingers through his hair, and he wasn't going to stop her. Not at all. He loved the feeling, and Eileen loved seeing him with short hair again.

They were sitting on the dock, Eileen with her legs hanging over the edge. She'd been a little weary when Dan started to move out of his wheelchair, but he assured her that his teacher had been one of the best.

"So what've you been up to, Eileen?" He asked.

"Just working, really."

"Still a therapist?" He asked.

"Mmhmm. Though, I haven't had any patients quite like you. Haven't looked forward to going to work for a long, long time." She sighed.

Dan smiled shyly, blushing. He hadn't met anyone who could make him feel the way Eileen did, and he didn't really want to. It wouldn't be the same anyway.

"What about you? What have you been up to, besides making a ton of money?" She asked.

"Nothing, really. I lived in New York City for a while… drank a lot. I was depressed. Then I got a letter from Forrest Gump, saying how he was a shrimping boat Captain. I promised him that if that happened, I'd be his first mate. Well, while working with Forrest… I made my peace with God. And stopped drinking, of course." He explained.

Eileen's tears welled up with joy, and she threw her arms around Dan's neck, kissing his cheek lovingly.

"I'm so proud of you, Danny." She whispered.

Dan looked over at Eileen, and gulped, running his fingers along her jaw line.

"Nobody's called me Danny since my mother." He said softly.

"Oh… sorry, it just slipped out." She said.

"I don't mind. I kind of like it." He admitted.

Eileen smiled at him, and rested her head on his shoulder, looking out at the water. She felt his arm wrap around her waist and hold her tight, and she sighed happily. She hadn't let herself be with anyone, especially since she'd met Dan. She'd mentally committed herself to the man as soon as she'd met him. And when they had their falling out, she thought that she was going to die. Ten years without seeing his face, or even hearing from him had been hard, but somehow she made it through each day. And now he was right here beside her.

"What're you thinking about?" Dan asked.

"You." She grinned.

Dan chuckled and kissed the top of her head. It was starting to get really late, and he didn't want to keep Eileen from getting a good nights rest, but he couldn't seem to tear himself away from her. Not that he wanted to.

"It's getting late." He said eventually.

"Yeah, it is. I should let you get some rest…" She said.

"You don't have to go… you could stay here, if you wanted." Dan suggested.

Eileen raised her head off of his shoulder and looked at him, then looked past him at the boat. Somehow, she couldn't see him having a bedroom beneath the deck of that little boat.

"And… where would we be sleeping?" She asked.

Dan laughed and pointed at the shrimp net hanging like a hammock a few feet off the deck of the boat.

"It's a lot more comfortable than it looks. Come on, give it a go." Dan said.

Eileen sighed playfully and got up, waiting for Dan to get himself back into his chair before they started towards the boat.

"Welcome aboard the Jenny. I uh, have to take care of a little business, but feel free to look around." Dan said.

Eileen watched him wheel himself into the cabin, and she figured she knew what he'd meant by 'taking care of business'. At least now she knew where the bathroom was without having to ask him. The boat was very nice, and she felt a bit of pride, standing on the boat where Dan and Forrest had made all their money. She was so very proud of both of them, though she had yet to meet Forrest Gump. She would have to be sure to thank him; if the man hadn't have run back to look for his friend Bubba, he never would have saved her Lieutenant.

Her thoughts wandered to the shrimp net, and she looked up at it. If she reached up she could just touch the bottom of the net. Now, she wasn't afraid of heights or anything like that, she just wasn't used to sleeping in anything other than a bed.

"You don't look too open to sleeping in that thing." Dan said softly.

Eileen turned and smiled softly at him, still eyeing the net.

"I just… how are we supposed to get up there anyway?" She asked.

Dan grinned, and pointed out a wooden seat on a pulley system.

"This is how I get around on the boat without using my chair. I'm gonna hoist us up into the net with this thing." He explained.

Eileen looked a little weary about the whole idea, but when Dan transferred himself into the seat and opened his arms… well, who was she to refuse him? With a smile, Eileen walked over to him and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Now, you don't have any sharp objects on your pockets or anything like that?" He asked, teasing her.

"No… but what about my heels? Should I leave them down here?" She asked.

Dan nodded, and Eileen smiled, toeing them off. She leaned in and kissed him again, unrushed, like they were the only two people that existed in the whole world. Nothing else mattered, just the two of them.

"Hold on tight." He whispered.

Eileen nodded and wrapped herself around him again, closing her eyes. She could feel the muscles underneath her arms and head working hard to bring them off of the deck of the boat, and before long they were level with the net.

"Now, you're gonna have to get on first. Don't worry; it'll hold you fine. I'm just gonna tie this thing here up to the edge of the net so we'll be able to get down." He said softly.

Taking a deep breath, Eileen let go of Dan and lowered herself into the net. She immediately rolled to the middle, and, getting herself comfortable she watched Dan tie the next at seat together with a piece of rope, before shifting himself into the net. She thought for sure that he was going to fall, her heart almost leapt right out of her chest, but he knew how to take care of himself. She'd made sure that he'd be able to… he needed to keep his independence. That was what the whole thing was about in the first place.

"If you think too hard for too long you're going to give yourself a migraine." He sighed.

She looked over at him and smiled. Her arms wrapped around him and she rested her head on his chest. His own arms wound around her waist and held her close to him. And, he was right. The net was a lot more comfortable than it looked. She could see why he slept in this thing.

"I've done nothing but think for ten years, Dan. It's a little hard to break that habit in one night." She said softly.

Dan's fingers played through her hair, moving it out of her face so he could kiss her gently.

"I'm sorry. I jumped to conclusions that day." He said.

"Don't be sorry. I didn't really explain what I'd meant. If I had done that, then maybe we would have been together ten years now." She laughed sadly.

Dan tipped her chin up, and caught a lone tear that trailed down her cheek.

"Well… there's nothing stopping us from being together now. If you'll have me." He offered.

"Of course. I love you, Dan." She smiled, stretching up and kissing him.

"Mmm… I love you too." He sighed happily.

~T.B.C.~


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Eileen woke up the next morning and felt completely relaxed. She'd slept through the entire night for the first time in years, and she immediately knew why. All the other nights she'd been kept awake with thoughts of Dan, what he was doing, if he was doing all right for himself, if he was happy. And now she had answers to all of those questions, so her mind allowed her to get the sleep she needed.

She felt Dan's arms tighten around her shoulders and she looked up, watching as he opened his eyes and yawned softly.

"Good morning." She smiled.

"Good morning to you too. How did you sleep?" He asked.

Eileen grinned and leaned up to press her lips to his and give a playful tug to his hair.

"Wonderfully. I think I might have been quick to judge this shrimp net." She giggled.

Dan smiled at her, running his fingers through her hair. He hadn't thought that he'd ever see her again, and he found it hard that she was really here with him. Just the fact that he'd been able to find love was amazing enough, given his 'condition'. He didn't understand how anyone could love someone with no legs. They couldn't do any of the romantic stuff; dancing, walking along the beach, playing footsies. Not that he would've done that last thing anyway.

"Your smile's gone." Eileen pointed out, frowning.

"Eileen, why would you want to be with me?" He asked.

"Because I love you. Dan, what are you thinking?" She asked, sitting up.

Dan sighed and rubbed his hand over her arm, taking her hand in his. He didn't look into her eyes, for once in his life he was afraid of what he might find there.

"I'm not going to be able to do with you what other guys could."

"Sure you can."

"You're forgetting I don't have any legs." Dan snapped.

"That doesn't make you any less of a person." She snapped back.

Dan frowned and shook his head. He loved her, he always would, but how was he going to explain to her that she deserved someone much, much better than him? He felt fingers under his chin and he looked up into Eileen's eyes.

"I love you, Daniel Taylor. I don't want anyone else but you, can't you just… accept that?" She asked.

Dan sighed and leaned forward, kissing her.

"So I'm stuck with you, is that what you're saying?" He smirked.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying." She grinned.

*

A week had passed and, with much talking and a few arguments, Dan convinced Eileen to move to Alabama. She hadn't had any place to stay, but Dan had fixed her up with a room at the Gump household. And today, she was finally going to meet him.

They pulled up to the front of the Gump house, and Eileen sighed in awe. It was beautiful. On the front porch sat a man, who Eileen assumed was Forrest. They got out of the car and got Dan set up in his wheelchair and headed towards the house.

"Hi there Lieutenant Dan!" Forrest greeted, waving.

"Hello Forrest." Dan smiled.

"You got your hair cut." Forrest smiled, meeting them by the front steps.

"I did. Forrest, I'd like you to meet someone very special to me. This is Eileen McDermott. Eileen, this is Forrest Gump." He introduced them.

Eileen smiled at Forrest and gratefully accepted his hug.

"It is so good to finally meet you. I wanted to thank you for saving my Lieutenant. I'm so thankful you did." She told him.

Forrest let her go and nodded to her, a huge smile on his face.

"I couldn't just leave him there. I was supposed to find Bubba, but every time I went in, I found someone else." He told her.

Eileen smiled at her and reached for Dan's hand, smiling at him as well.

"All the same, thank you Forrest."

"Well… why don't I show you around the house?" He suggested.

Dan looked at the stairs and sighed.

"Why don't you two go on. There's too many stairs in that house for me, you know that Gump." Dan said.

Eileen looked between Forrest and Dan, but seeing that it was okay in her love's eyes, she agreed. Leaning down she kissed him before straightening back up. Forrest had a goofy look on his face.

"Lieutenant Dan, you've got yourself a girl. I'm happy you're not gonna be lonely anymore." He said honestly.

Dan smiled.

"Me too, Forrest."

~T.B.C.~


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Alabama. Not just any town in Alabama, but Greenbow. The sunrises and sunsets were so beautiful, especially on the Gump property. Eileen woke up every morning to watch the sun rise, and stayed up with Dan to watch it set. When it went down, he'd kiss her goodnight and tell her that he'd be over the same time tomorrow. Unless it was Friday. On Fridays, Eileen and Dan spent the night on the shrimp boat. In fact, they spent the entire weekend on the boat, lying in the shrimping nets, staring up at the stars.

She'd been here almost seven months now. And she's made great friends with Forrest. He might not have been the quickest man around, but he had a funny way of getting everything to make sense. She liked that about him.

Two days ago, however, Forrest took off. She yelled after him, asked him where he was going.

"I just feel like running!" He'd yelled back.

So Eileen had been at the house by herself. It was strange for her to be in such a big house and not have another soul on the entire lot. Sure, the mailman and the milkman came by every so often, but it wasn't the same. Even Dan wasn't around. He'd been gone two months; some convention for owners of shrimp boats. He'd told her that they had new high tech equipment, and with Forrest gone a week and not knowing whether he'd come back or not, he felt he needed to go, to help. She hadn't believed his story, but she could see that this meant a lot to him and she didn't press it.

"Eileen?"

She turned from the sink and wiped her hand on the apron tied at her waist. Her Uncle Harold came around the corner and smiled at her.

"I never thought I'd catch you in a kitchen." He teased.

"I was just finishing up the dishes I dirtied. What a surprise seeing you here." She smiled, giving him a hug.

"I brought you a present." He smiled.

"A present? What kind of present?" She asked.

"Why don't you go to the porch and see?" He said, smiling.

There was a twinkle in his eye that made Eileen wonder what the heck was going on. She wanted to stay and question him, but she also wanted to know what the present was that was waiting for her on the front porch. Eyeing Harold, she went out to the front, and gasped when she saw Dan, _standing_ by the railing. A cane rested against the rail. He smiled at her.

"Hi." He greeted.

"Is this what you were hiding from me?" She asked.

Dan looked down at his new legs, clad in denim then back up at Eileen. He'd wanted to surprise her. He'd been fitted for prosthetics and he'd wanted to surprise her with being able to walk with them. That's where he had been for those two months. It had been hell to be away from her for so long, but he knew it was the right thing to do in the long run.

"Um… surprise." He said, a little nervous.

Eileen grinned at him and went over, wrapping her arms around his neck and pecking him on the lips. He smiled at her and put his arms around her waist, leaning back against the railing.

"I thought you didn't want prosthetics?" She asked.

Dan shrugged.

"I wanted to be able to dance with you." He admitted.

Eileen grinned and hugged him tightly. Her nose butted under his chin and she took in calm breaths. She'd missed him so much, and this was an amazing surprise. A part of her wished that she'd been there with him, but now she knew why he was so excited about going away.

"I love you, Danny." She whispered.

"I love you too."

*

"So, I take it you liked my present?" Harold laughed.

"Yes. Thank you, so much." She smiled.

"Well, I'd better be off. Your aunt will have a fit if I'm not home. We're having her best friend over for dinner tonight." He explained.

"Well, you'd better be off then. Thank you again, Uncle Harold." Eileen said, hugging him.

He smiled and shook Dan's hand before heading down and to his car, driving off. Dan and Eileen sat in silence until the car was out of sight. She looked over at Dan, leaning against the rail. He was gazing out at something on the lawn, but he looked so happy. More confident than he had been when she's first met him. Her eyes were drawn to the legs, not that she could see them. To her, it didn't matter if he had legs or not, she loved him. And she loved that he was now able to be one hundred percent independent; not even stairs could stop him now.

"Eileen, I wanted to ask you something." He said, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Okay, go ahead." She said.

Dan turned to her and walked over, using his cane, just in case. He still wasn't one hundred percent sure on his new feet, but he'd missed Eileen too much to stay longer.

He sat down on the chair beside her and turned to take her hand in his.

"Eileen, I love you. I know you know that. When I was away, getting set up on these legs, I realized how much I missed being with you. Even when you moved in here, at night it was… it was hard. There were so many times I wanted to sneak over here just to be with you, but I couldn't because of the damn stairs. Anyway, what I'm saying is that I don't want anyone else but you." He said softly.

Eileen smiled at him and cupped his cheek.

"Well, it makes me happier knowing I wasn't the only one suffering while you were away. And I've told you God knows how many times that you're the only one I want. Thank you for joining me on that train of thought." She teased.

Dan laughed under his breath, and reached into his pocket. He opened his hand, and sitting in the middle of his palm was a ring. Eileen gasped looking at it, a hand over her mouth and she looked back up at him.

"Will you marry me?" He asked.

"Of course I will." She giggled happily.

He grinned and slipped the ring on her finger, kissing her hand. He felt like his heart was going to leap right out of his chest. This was a dream come true, he was getting married for Christ's sake! He didn't let go of her hand, even when she got out of her chair and sat on his lap, facing him. She brought their linked hands to her lips and kissed his hand like he did hers, before releasing it and wrapping her arms around his neck. He could see the tears shining in the corners of her eyes, and he smiled, wiping them away.

"I love you so much." She sniffed.

Dan smiled at her and held her to him, rubbing a hand over her back. He could feel her breathing softly against his neck and he held her closer. He felt like he'd won the lottery or something, but what he had was much better than any amount of money. He was in love, and he was going to start a family with the woman of his dreams. What more could he have asked for?

"Dan?" Eileen sighed.

"Mmhmm?"

"Stay the night."

Dan smiled and kissed the side of her head.

"I'd love to."

~T.B.C.~


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Another six months had passed and still no word from Forrest. Dan and Eileen had seen him on TV at least once a week, running from one place to another. They were both so proud of him. He was such an honest man, and nobody understood why he was running. But as he had told Eileen over a year ago, he just felt like running.

They had talked about getting married, and Dan had said that he didn't want to have the wedding until Forrest was back, whenever that may be. But, there was no way to get in touch with him and let him know what was happening. He was constantly on the go, and nobody knew where he was going next.

"Dan… we have no idea how long he could be running for. Are you sure you want to wait?" Eileen had asked one day.

"Eileen, he saved my life. Even when I was being an ass to him, Forrest never gave up. He was always nice and patient in his own way. It's the least I can do for him."

Eileen nodded. She could understand, and she could wait. She knew that Dan loved her, and that he wouldn't leave her for anyone else. She just didn't know how long Forrest was going to be running, and, in all honesty, she didn't think Forrest knew either.

*

The Christmas season came around, and Eileen had decided that Forrest's house needed some cheer to it. She found the box of Christmas decorations in the attic and started decorating. Nothing big, fake candles in the front windows, wreath bows in hanging arches underneath the outsides of the windows and wrapped around the rails of the front porch. It looked really nice.

Dan and Harold had picked out a small tree and they put it in the picture window in the living room. The perfect size, though, by the time they got it back to the house and set it up it looked nicer than it had when they'd picked it out.

"Are you going to stay and help decorate?" Eileen asked.

"I've got my own tree to decorate. No, I think I'll head home. Who knows, maybe you'll get a call from Forrest, or maybe he'll drop by." Harold grinned.

"We'll see you later." Dan smiled.

When Harold had left, Eileen opened the boxes of decorations and laid them on the couch. She sighed and ran her fingers over the tops of the glass bulbs. Her mother used to have ones like these when she was a little girl. It felt so wrong to be putting Mrs. Gump's decorations up without Forrest being there.

"Something wrong?" Dan called softly.

Eileen looked up and smiled.

"Doesn't it feel a little… weird? Being in Forrest's house, decorating for Christmas and he's not even here? I don't know, I just feel a little weird." She shrugged.

Dan went to her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't think Forrest would mind. I think he would be happy knowing that someone is keeping the tradition alive. Come on now, let's hang some of these decorations."

"Okay. But you're going to have to put the angel on top, I'm not tall enough." She grinned, pecking his cheek.

*

"Dan, I'm making pancakes, did you want some?" Eileen asked.

"Sure. I was going to make some coffee, did you want me to make some for you too?" He replied, wheeling himself into the kitchen.

The prosthetics had started to chafe at Dan's skin, and when he went to the doctor to see what was wrong, he'd told him that Dan had gotten an infection. They were going to take his new legs and fix them so they wouldn't chafe. Eileen smiled lovingly at him. This would be the third year that they'd lived in the Gump house, still unmarried, still without Forrest. He'd still made TV appearances every now and then, but he wasn't as big news as he had been when he'd started. At least, not to the news. He'd gotten many followers, people who were inspired by what he did. Dan had a feeling that Mrs. Gump would have been very proud of her son.

"Hello?"

Eileen looked at Dan, and the surprise in his eyes led her to go and see who was at the house. Dan followed, wheeling himself towards the entrance. They both grinned when they saw it was Forrest.

"Oh Forrest! It's so good to have you back home!" Eileen exclaimed, hugging him.

"It's good to be back home." He smiled.

"I thought you were out running, Gump." Dan cut in.

"I got tired of running. Thought I'd come home. Thank you both, for taking care of my Momma's house. It was so nice of you to stay, have it be lived in." He said.

"Any time, Forrest. You're family to us." Eileen smiled.

Dan wheeled over to them, and reached for Eileen's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Forrest, I want to tell you something very important." Dan said.

Forrest nodded and sat down on the stairs, looking over at Dan and Eileen, waiting. Dan looked up at Eileen and tugged on her arm until she sat on his lap. His arms wrapped around her, rolling the ring on her finger. He looked back at Forrest and smiled.

"Forrest, I'm getting married. I asked Eileen to marry me." He said.

Forrest's face lit up, and he clapped his hands together, standing and shaking Dan's hand before kissing Eileen's cheek.

"Congratulations Lieutenant Dan! I am so happy for the two of you. When are you going to get married?" He asked.

Eileen looked at Dan and shrugged.

"Well, we have everything planned out. There's not a lot of people we want there… we're going to get married in the uh, the Catholic Church on Main street. We've done all the marriage prep, all we need to do is book the Church." Eileen smiled.

Forrest grinned.

"If there is anything you need, let me know. I would love to help."

"Of course Forrest. Thank you."

*

Two weeks later they had been married. Nothing big, as they had wanted, just close friends and what family they had left. And Dan's infection had cleared up, and he'd gotten his prosthetics back just in time. He was so happy to be able to stand up at his own wedding. Tears were shed, mostly between Eileen and Forrest. And when the service was done, they went over to Forrest's house for a reception. Harold, his wife and their two boys had been there, and they'd had a surprise for them. They handed Dan an envelope, huge grin on Harold's face.

"What is this? Uncle Harold, Aunt Kathy, what are you playing at?" Eileen asked with a frown.

"Just open it, will you?" He grinned.

Dan looked over at his wife, and opened the envelope. A deed to a house fell into his hands and his eyes went wide.

"You bought us a house? Harold…" Dan shook his head.

"A house? That's a deed to a house? Uncle Harold, I don't know what to say." Eileen gasped.

"Just accept it, would you? Come on, you two have done so much for everyone else, always helping someone else… let another person do something for you every once and a while."

Dan smiled and shook his hand.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He nodded.

"Lieutenant Dan! Lieutenant Dan I got a letter!" Forrest yelled, running towards them.

Dan turned, smiling when he saw Forrest running towards them, holding a letter.

"Who's it from, Forrest?" He asked.

Forrest was doubled up, trying to catch his breath. He held the letter out to Dan, showing him who it was from.

"Jenny, Lieutenant Dan. My Jenny wants me to go and see her." Forrest said.

"Well, you're gonna go, aren't you?" Dan asked.

"Of course." Forrest said.

And he went. He went to see Jenny and brought her back. Brought back a son too, named Forrest. Gump had quite a time telling Dan and Eileen all about him, and telling them that he was getting married too. And they were invited to the wedding. The wedding was in July. It was celebrated outside Forrest's house, and it was the most beautiful thing that they'd ever been to. To see someone getting married to their best friend, to someone who'd grown up just around the bend was so touching. Their love was so obvious. Dan and Eileen had sat near the front, hand in hand, smiling. Beaming really. Those two were meant for each other, a perfect family. And, in reaching that conclusion, they realized how perfect they were for each other too. How, if it hadn't been for that man standing up there, they never would have met. Were they ever glad he'd done what he did.

*

"That was a beautiful wedding, don't you think, Dan?" Eileen said, turning down the bed sheets.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it? And that little Forrest… he's some smart. Already, reading, tying his own shoes. It's amazing." Dan said.

Eileen smiled at him, before going and getting ready for bed. She changed into her nightgown and brushed her teeth, making sure the front door was locked before going back into their bedroom. Dan was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her. He smiled when she came back, and held his hand out for her.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" He said.

Eileen blushed and went to him, taking his hand.

"You're not too bad looking yourself." She admitted.

Dan chuckled, pulling her down on top of him. She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, noses touching. They'd been married for two months, but it had been the busiest two months, what with all the work that needed to be done with the shrimping company, as well as moving into the house they'd been given. They hadn't had time to do much else but sleep. This would be their first opportunity, their first time being together. Eileen's heart was beating so fast, whether it was out of excitement or nervousness, she didn't know.

"You think a little too much. Anybody ever told you that?" Dan commented.

"Yeah, I think you've told me once or twice. It can't be helped though. I'm a thinker." Eileen giggled.

Dan beamed at her, running his fingertips over her cheek. His own heart was beating wildly in his chest, in anticipation. He was finally going to get to show the most gorgeous gal in all the world how much he loved her. And he wanted everything to be perfect.

"You know, for someone who says _I_ do a lot of thinking, you do an awful lot yourself." Eileen smirked.

Dan smiled back at her, and pushed her hair off of her shoulders.

"Well, then I suggest we stop thinking, and get into the doing part. What do you say to that?" He suggested.

Eileen grinned, and kissed him softly at first. Just lips pressed against lips. When Dan's hands ran down her back, she shivered and kissed him harder, need coursing through her veins. She needed this man like she needed air; she'd die without him.

"Dan." She whispered against his lips.

"Mmmhmm?" He panted back.

"I love you." She smiled.

Dan smiled, hands cupping her bottom, pulling her closer to him, and pressing her down against his obvious need until she gasped.

"I love you too."

He leaned back until they were lying on the bed, Eileen's hair framing both their faces. The ends tickled Dan's cheek, and he reached out to tuck a strand behind her ear. He watched as he sat up on his lap, removing the nightgown and revealing herself to him for the first time. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was beautiful. Perfect. But, Dan _was_ a bit biased when it came to Eileen. Just a little biased. She sat up on her knees, and Dan pushed himself up the bed until his head rested on the pillow. She followed him up, a smile on her face and she undid the buttons on his dress shirt.

He'd already taken care of the hard business: his legs of course. As much as he loved her that was one thing he never wanted to burden her with. He didn't mind her being there when he did it, but it was one thing he always insisted on doing himself.

His mind switched back over to the task at hand, pushing himself up onto his elbows, kissing down her bare shoulder while she worked him out of his shirt. He could feel her fingers pulling at his undershirt, and he only pulled away from her for a second, just until that piece of cloth was out of the way too. Now there were only two pieces of clothing left, two pieces keeping him from taking her. HE was starting to lose his patience, and it was becoming obvious to Eileen.

"Come on now, relax. We've got all the time in the world, you and me." She soothed, running her hand over his chest.

Dan let himself flop back against he bed with an exasperated sigh.

"I know. I just… there's just something about you that's making me anxious." He admitted.

"I know, I'm feeling the same thing." She smiled nervously.

Dan reached out and cupped the back of Eileen's neck, bringing her down to him. He kissed her softly, lovingly.

"No need to be nervous, dear. It's just you and me. We've got all the time in the world." He repeated her words.

She took s deep breath and nodded.

"I want you." She told him.

"I want you too… I might be able to fix that." He whispered.

Eileen moaned softly, pressing her lips to Dan's, fingers burrowing into his hair. She could feel just how much he wanted her, and she rubbed herself shamelessly against him. Reaching down, she undid his belt with shaky fingers, pulling it out of the loops and dropping it onto the floor. As much as she regretted it, she pulled away from those lips. She needed both her hands and a proper mindset if she wanted to do this right.

Dan worried his bottom lip between his teeth, watching as Eileen made quick work of his pants. He helped her as much as he could, trying not to get frustrated that she had to do most of the work. But as soon as he was freed of the rest of his clothes, as soon as she was back over him, kissing him, smiling at him, he felt much better. All the frustration went away.

"You're um… you're gonna have to be on top." He grumbled out.

Eileen smiled down at him and kissed him again.

"This time, maybe. Next time, you can do all the work." She challenged him.

Dan laughed and wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her tight against him. She gasped again, and he grinned. He would never get tired of hearing her make little noises like that. He trailed his fingers down her spine, grazing over her butt before taking her thighs in his hands, spreading her legs open. She went willingly, tilting her hips at the right angle so that Dan just slipped right in. They both sighed at the contact, pausing only for a minute before their lips met again, kissing fervently.

She pushed herself down against him, just as he pushed himself up into her as well as he could. Their motion seemed that of a dance between two people who had practiced this time and time again. They didn't speak, didn't need to. Their gasps and moans communicated all their needs and wants. Eileen had kept her face pressed against Dan's neck when their lips hadn't been connected, and she only raised her head when she felt his fingers curl into the hair at the base of her neck. He was looking right into her, the love clearly showing in his eyes. And for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Even while they moved against one another, even as the pleasure washed over her body, a body that wanted to arch away yet press as close as it could to him at the same time, she kept her eyes on him. She wanted to watch him come apart, wanted to know that it was because of her that he was doing so.

Fingers trailed down her stomach, leaving goose bumps in their wake until the pad of his thumb traced around the area where they came together. He was searching for something, she could see it in his eyes, and when he found it, she cried out, finally closing her eyes and letting her body arch. Her thigh muscles contracted, hugging tight around Dan's hips. She could hear his harsh pants, the grunts under his breath, the way it hitched right before he exploded inside of her, coating her. They rode out the waves of their ecstasy until Eileen couldn't support her own weight anymore. With a happy sigh she slumped down on top of Dan, their sweaty bodies sticking to one another. Her hair was matted to her back and shoulders, but not so much that Dan couldn't weave his fingers through. They didn't say anything for a long while, just listening to each other breath. It was very calming, very relaxing. Perfect.

"That was…" Dan started, panting.

"Mmmhmm, it was." She hummed.

She bumped her nose against his jaw, fitting her head underneath his chin.

"I didn't think it could ever be like…" She sighed.

"Mmmhmm. I love you." He whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you too, Danny. So very much."

~T.B.C.~


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

They had been married for almost a year, had become amazing friends with Jenny and Forrest, and even became the Godparents to little Forrest. And, amazingly enough, he had become just as attached to Dan as Forrest had.

"I don't understand why they're both so close to me." Dan said one day.

"Because, you tell it how it is, Dan. And besides, little Forrest loves you. You're his Uncle Dan, the one with magic legs." Eileen grinned.

Dan smirked.

"Yeah… I love him too. Makes you think about having kids, doesn't it?"

"It does. I'd like to have a few… if you'd be okay with that." She said.

Dan got up and walked over to where Eileen stood, leaning against the kitchen counter. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his forehead against hers.

"You don't have to ask me if I'm okay with having kids. If you want kids, then I want kids." He told her softly.

"Let's try." She smiled.

"Okay then. We'll try." He chuckled, kissing her softly.

Eileen sighed happily into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands traveled slowly down her back until they reached her bottom, lifting her up onto the counter. She gasped and giggled, wrapping her legs around his hips.

"I didn't mean right now, Danny." She teased.

"I know, but there's no time like the present right?" He joked, kissing her again.

They would have been more than happy to continue, if the phone hadn't started ringing. Dan pulled away with a frown, and went over to the phone.

"Hello? Forrest? Slow down, Forrest I don't know what you're talking about. What about Jenny? Oh… okay. We'll be right over. Sure. No, no little Forrest will be fine at his friends' house. Well we'll pick him up on the way. Okay. Okay, bye Forrest."

Dan hung up the phone, a sad strange look on his face. Eileen frowned and hopped down off of the counter, walking over to him.

"Dan? What's going on?" She asked cautiously.

"It's Jenny. Forrest said she wouldn't wake up from her nap. You know how sick she was, Eileen. He called the doctor over and pronounced her. Jenny's gone." Dan sighed.

Eileen put a hand to her mouth, weeping softly. Jenny had been sick for a long time, they'd all known that, but this was… this was sudden. Dan could see how badly it was affecting his wife, and he went to her, puling her into an embrace.

"What're we going to do? Forrest won't be able to tell little Forrest… oh Dan." Eileen sniffed.

"I know. I told Forrest we'd pick the boy up from his friends' house on the way over. I thought… well, I thought maybe you could distract him while I talk to Forrest, and then I'd have a talk with his son." He said quietly.

Eileen pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"I think that's the best way to do it. They both trust you so much. Oh, this is so sad… poor Forrest, poor little Forrest." She sniffed again.

Dan sighed and wiped the pad of his thumb under her eyes, catching her tears. He wasn't looking forward to talking with either Forrest. It was going to be tough. With one, he'd have to explain things simply, and with the other he'd have to watch what he'd say. But he'd have to be gentle with both.

*

"Forrest, can I talk with you?" Dan said, walking into the kitchen.

Little Forrest looked up at Dan with a smile, sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of milk in front of him.

"Okay. You can sit next to me, Uncle Dan. Do you want some milk and cookies? Mommy made them yesterday." He said.

"No, no thanks little Forrest." Dan smiled.

He sat down next to the boy and watched as he finished his cookie and drink, wiping away his milk moustache with the back of his hand. Dan glanced over the table at Eileen, who had a hand covering her face. Little Forrest saw it too, and frowned.

"What's wrong, Auntie Eileen? Why are you sad?" He asked.

"Oh… it's nothing. I've just got something in my eye. Excuse me boys, I'm going to go sit on the porch, try to get rid of it." She said softly, leaving the room.

Forrest watched her go, before turning back to Dan and frowning.

"I don't think Auntie Eileen had something in her eye. She looked more like she was going to be sick." He said quietly.

"You think so? Well, that could be it." Dan nodded.

They sat, just the two of them for a few minutes before little Forrest hopped out of his set and climbed up onto Dan's lap.

"What do you want to talk about Uncle Dan?" He asked innocently.

Dan gulped and swept the boys' bangs out of his eyes. How was he going to do this? He'd already had a hard enough time with the boys' father.

"Forrest… Forrest, do you know what vacation is? A permanent vacation, I mean."

Forrest shook his head. Dan nodded, and started to think. Little Forrest was smart, and he didn't want to just say out right that his mother was dead. So, he'd use the same sort of idea that Forrest's mother had used on him when he was a boy. Dan could remember when he'd told Gump to take a vacation, that he'd gotten scared and shook his head. That was when he'd explained what he'd been told vacation meant.

"Well, a permanent vacation is where you go somewhere… and you don't ever come back."

"Never?" Forrest asked, eyes wide.

"Never. But it's the best place to be. Everyone who was sick isn't sick anymore, everyone is happy and healthy. When you go on permanent vacation, you go to be with God." Dan explained.

Forrest frowned.

"Mommy told me that's where Daddy's Mommy went. She went to be with God. Uncle Dan… Uncle Dan, did my Mommy go on permanent vacation?" Forrest asked, eyes wide.

Dan gulped. Shit, why had he thought of this idea in the first place? He'd backed himself up into a corner. He sighed and rubbed his hand over Forrest's arm.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're Mommy went on permanent vacation, little Forrest." Dan agreed solemnly.

"Forrest sniffed and hugged Dan, sobs wracking through his small body. Dan's heart broke at the sight, and he lifted Forrest higher into his arms, holding his head against the crook of his neck.

"It's okay, Forrest. Your Mommy's happy there. She's better there." Dan tried to soothe.

"B-but I didn't get to tell her I loved her!" Forrest cried.

Dan looked down at Forrest, who looked up at him with wide eyes. He smiled gently and wiped away his tears.

"She knows you love her. But you know what? Why don't you write her a letter? You can tell her how much you love her, and then get Daddy to leave it under the big tree for her. That way, she'll know for sure." Dan suggested.

Forrest nodded and wiped his eyes, hopping off of Dan's lap.

"Okay. I'm going to go ask Daddy if he'll help me do that. Maybe he wants to write a letter too." Forrest decided.

Dan watched him walk out of the kitchen, and listened to small footsteps go up the stairs. He let out a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling.

"I hope I did that well enough for you, Jenny." He said quietly.

*

The funeral wasn't anything big. Just close friends, really. Forrest had decided to have Jenny buried beneath the big old tree in the back yard, where they used to sit and talk, watch the sun set. He'd even had Jenny's old home demolished, and planted more trees like the one where Jenny was buried all over the land.

They'd stayed as long as the two boys had needed them, but eventually, Eileen and Dan had left for their own home. Not before promising little Forrest that they would come over at least once a week, if not more.

When they got home, Eileen immediately went into the bedroom and lay down on the bed, back facing the door. Dan would have been fine leaving her on her own, knowing she probably needed some space, if he hadn't heard her gently weeping. He went down the hall to investigate, and sat down on the bed beside her.

"Eileen?" He called softly.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes ad looked over at Dan.

"Eileen… don't be sad, dear. The boys will be fine… Jenny isn't suffering anymore. She'd want us to be happy, all of us." He said quietly.

Eileen nodded and sat up, moving to sit on Dan's lap, wrapping her arms around his torso. He, in turn, wrapped his arms snug around her, rocking back and forth gently, soothing her until she'd stopped crying.

"Danny?" She called quietly.

"Mmhmm?"

I wanted to tell you something." She said.

"What is it, darling?"

Eileen raised her head to look at Dan, slipping her fingers into his hair. She'd gone to see the doctor two days after Jenny's passing. It was her monthly checkup. And they'd found something. Nothing big, just a small something. But her doctor had assured her that it would grow into something big, and she would need to be careful. She would also have to inform Dan. And they all had so much on their minds already without this added on.

"Eileen, what is it? You can tell me." He encouraged her.

Eileen took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm pregnant."

~T.B.C.~


	7. Chapter 7

It had taken Eileen a couple on moths to finally become at ease with her pregnancy. It was just so close to Jenny's death for her it was a little overwhelming. The night she had told Dan, they had just sat together and talked about it. They could support a child financially, there was no worry there, and they had both wanted children, so that was no problem. But Dan had been a little worried; whether or not he would be able to do things a normal father would do with their children, because of his legs. But Eileen was finally able to convince him that he would be fine, and that he would make a wonderful father.

And of course, they had both sat down with Forrest and little Forrest and explained it to both of them and they were excited. Little Forrest would finally have someone to play with, and Forrest would become an uncle; he would have another child he could tell his stories and adventures to.

Being six months pregnant was hard on Eileen, especially since Dan had gotten into that protective mode. He didn't want anything to happen to her, and if he could get his own way, he would make sure she never left the house. But she was strong willed and had fought him on that. Which he expected.

It was the start of spring, and Eileen was outside doing some gardening. She had a roast in the oven for supper, and all she really had to do was make the gravy; all the veggies were in with the meat. The Gumps were coming over to eat with them, and she had spent the entire morning cleaning up their little house, so she figured, since it was such a nice day, she'd get a head start on the garden she had planned on setting up last year and never got around to doing.

She was wearing a beautiful white flowered dress and a sun hat, patting down the soil with her gloved hands. She had an apron on as well so she wouldn't get her dress full of dirt. She'd planted tomatoes, carrots, green beans, and a few turnips, just to see if they would actually grow. She heard an old truck pulling up in their driveway, and she got up, pulling off her cloves and apron and walking around to the front. She smiled, seeing her Uncle Harold dropping Dan off.

"How was work?" She asked, pecking his cheek.

"Work was good, we got quite a catch." Dan grinned. He hugged her close to his side, his free hand running over the baby bump briefly before turning back to Harold, who was leaning out the drivers' side window.

"Lookin' good there, Eileen." He smiled.

"Thank you, Uncle Harold. We'll have to have you and Aunt Kathy over some time soon." She smiled.

"Of course! You just tell us when you want us and we'll be over!" He chuckled.

Dan waved goodbye as he pulled away and drove off, and he turned back to Eileen, limping with her back to the house.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Just some seawater that got into the joints. Doc aid he's going to get me some new ones, so they don't rust out. And he's going to fit me for them too, so they don't chafe as much." Dan explained.

"That would be good. These things aren't cheap, and I know we have money, but we can't afford to replace them every couple of years." Eileen sighed.

"Don't worry, dear. You should see some of the legs they're coming up with now. They look almost real." He smiled.

Eileen grinned at Dan and helped him inside. He had to get washed up before their guests showed up.

Forrest and little Forrest were sitting in the living room with Dan while Eileen was working on making the gravy. Everything was almost ready. If there was one thing she prided herself on, it was that she made good food. So she wanted everything to taste perfect, even though she knew Forrest would eat it no matter what.

"Anything I can help with, Eileen?" Dan asked, poking his head into the kitchen.

"Everything's good to go, actually. Just need to put the food on the table and pour some drinks. Thank you anyway." She smiled.

Dan smiled back at her and walked closer, kissing her cheek as his hands wound around her waist. His hands were on either side of her belly, feeling how big she had gotten. He was excited and nervous all at the same time; scared about how things would change once the baby got here, yet he was tired of waiting.

"You know I love you, right?" He said quietly.

"Of course I do, Danny. Now come on, before the food gets cold." She smiled over her shoulder at him.

"Auntie Eileen, are you having a boy baby or a girl baby?" Little Forrest asked, looking up at her from across the table.

"I don't know, sweetie. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"I hope it's a boy baby. That way you don't really have to buy a lot of toys, he can just have mine."

Dan grinned and Forrest beamed, running his hand over his sons' hair. "You are a good boy, Forrest. Sharing. I never had anybody to share with me. Until I met Jenny, your Momma." He explained.

"I think it's mean not to share with people." Little Forrest said, digging back into his meal.

Eileen smiled again, and glanced over at Dan. It was obvious that this little boy amazed him. He was so smart for his age; he had the wisdom that most men only dreamed of having, yet here he was. This boy gave them hope for the future.

"This is really good, Eileen. I like that way the potatoes taste." Forrest said.

"Why thank you, Forrest. If you'd like I can show you how to make it sometime." She suggested.

"I would like that." He smiled.

They watched from the front porch and little Forrest and Forrest got into the cab that was going to take them home, waving as little Forrest waved goodbye. Eileen sighed happily and leaned back against Dan.

"A few more months and we'll have our own." She said.

"Mmmhmm. I can't wait. Harold and Forrest said they would come over to help with the baby's room. You'll have to watch little Forrest while we paint; I don't want the fumes to get to you." He murmured, pressing his lips to her shoulder.

"You're not going to let me do anything, are you?" She asked.

"Nope. Well, I'll let you do some things. Buying baby clothes, picking out the furniture you want, testing out rocking chairs… and of course, you're going to have to pick out names you like." He smiled.

Eileen chuckled and turned back to look at Dan, wrapping her arms around him. "You're lucky I love you. Or else I wouldn't put up with this." She smirked.

"I am lucky. Come on; let's go back inside. You've been on your feet all day anyway, you need to rest." He smiled.

Eileen leaned forward and kissed him softly, rubbing her nose against his. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He whispered back.

Taking his hand, Eileen led Dan back inside the house and locked the door behind them. Everything had been cleaned up already, and she was beat, so sleep sounded like a great idea to her. They'd started through their nightly routine; Dan brushing his teeth while Eileen turned down the sheets, then her going in to brush her own teeth while he took off his legs and got himself comfortable in the bed. She's turned off all the lights and crawled in next to him, moving around until she found a comfortable position in his arms.

"What about Aiden? I like that name." She yawned softly.

"For a boy or a girl?" Dan asked, smoothing the hair away from her face.

"For either. Aiden… Aiden Daniel, or Aiden Jennifer. I like the name." Eileen muttered, falling asleep.

Dan smiled and kissed her forehead. They'd be talking about baby names for the next four months, but he was pretty sure Aiden would be the name they chose. And he could live with that.

~T.B.C.~


	8. Chapter 8

Big wasn't a good word to describe how Eileen was at this point. Huge would be closer. She was due any day now, and the shift in weight was starting to get to her. Her feet were always sore, her back was always killing her and it took her hours to fall asleep. She felt bad, because she was cranky too, and she would take it out on Dan from time to time. But he was understanding for the most part. Thank God for that.

Right now she was curled up in the living room, watching TV. Dan was out, as usual, only this time he wasn't out shrimping, he was out buying the last little odds and ends for the baby's room. She'd never seen him so excited, so into the whole thing. He'd gotten her to pick out the paint and he'd painted; they picked out furniture and he put it all together; they bought clothes and she would catch him staring at them, waiting. It really was sweet.

There was a knock at the door and Eileen sighed. She was going to just let it ride, but the person was very insistent. Huffing, she pushed herself up out of the chair and waddled over to the door. When she opened it, she was shocked to find a worn out lady in a wrinkled flower-print dress, dirty-blonde hair swept up off her face. Her cheeks were bony, and Eileen knew right off that she was a former drug addict, if not still someone who was using.

"Can I help you?" She asked, a little unsure.

"I'm lookin' for Danny Taylor? He lives here, don't he?" She asked.

"Who are you?" She questioned.

"I'm Carla. Danny and I used ta be together a few years back. He's my husband." She smiled impatiently.

Eileen's eyes went wide, shocked and she shook her head. Was this woman lying, or was she telling the truth? God, she couldn't tell but if she was telling the truth then Dan was in for a big surprise.

"I'm sorry… but Dan's my husband. There must be some mistake." It was the only thing she could think of saying.

"Listen, missy, I don't know who you are, but Danny's been married to me for years. Since 1975 we've been married." Carla said.

Eileen shook her head, holding onto the door with one hand the other going to protect her rounded stomach and the child inside. This was too much for her to deal with and she slumped back against the wall.

"Hey, you don't look so good. Maybe you should sit down or somethin'." She suggested.

"I think maybe I should." Eileen agreed.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eileen and Carla had sat down in the living room, talking about Dan. Eileen wanted to know how she knew her husband, and she had told her that she had been his escort for a couple of years while he'd been a heavy drinker. She's said they had realized they were in love and they'd gotten married that same year. Then he'd disappeared and she hadn't seen him since.

Eileen was a little at a loss. She could tell that the tears this woman was crying were either fake or she was crying for her own loss. Whatever it was, she wasn't crying because she missed Dan. There was some truth to her story though; Eileen just wasn't sure what it was. She was pretty adamant that Dan would have told her if he'd been married, even briefly at one point in his life.

"So how do you know my Danny?" Carla asked.

"He was one of my patients when I first started out as a physiotherapist." Eileen said softly.

"So you've known him all this time, and he didn't tell you he wasn't married to me?" She said.

"We had a falling out and lost contact for about ten years."

She watched as this huge smirk grew on Carla's face, as if she had something more than Eileen did, and suddenly Eileen wanted this woman out of her house. Everything was fine until she came knocking on the door, turning everything upside down. It looked as though Carla was going to do some more verbal jabbing at her, when the kitchen door blew open, and two men came in.

"Eileen? Honey, you should come and see what Forrest and I picked out for the baby." She heard Dan calling cheerfully.

The two ladies stood up, and Carla grinned, bounding over to Dan and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him.

"Danny! I missed you baby, where you been?" She cooed.

Eileen didn't stick around to see the look of shock on Dan's face, instead choosing to walk by him, sniffling. Just seeing that other woman all over her husband was enough to make her sick. She didn't want to look at that anymore.

"Eileen, why are you upset?" Forrest asked when she came into the kitchen.

"Oh Forrest, a woman showed up today and said her name was Carla and that she was married to Dan!" She cried.

"But, you're married to Lieutenant Dan, Eileen." Forrest frowned.

"I know that, Forrest, I know." She sniffed.

Out in the living room, Dan had pushed Carla away, and held her at arms length. "Who are you?" He asked.

"Don't you remember me, Danny? Carla? Cunning Carla? We used ta warm the sheets together, honey." She smiled slyly.

Dan frowned and shook his head. He remembered her now, and that was a time he'd much rather forget. Shaking his head, he pushed her away again before she tried to saunter up closer to him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm here for you, baby. I've always had a soft spot for you and I missed you." She pouted, trying to wrap her arms around his neck again.

"That last time I saw you, you called me a retard and my friend stupid. You don't care about me and I certainly don't care about you." He growled.

"Ain't you forgetting something? We're married, Danny." She snarked.

"I would never marry someone like you."

Carla frowned and tried to slap him across the face, but he grabbed her wrist. She screamed at him and push at him, and he lost his balance and fell backwards, one of his prosthetic legs catching on the edge of the small table, and coming off with a loud 'pop', leaving him on the floor with one of his new legs not where it should have been. And once again, she was laughing at him.

Forrest and Eileen heard the commotion and went to see what was going on. As soon as Forrest saw Carla, and knew who she was. He frowned and stepped over Dan, grabbing her arm.

"You are not a nice lady." He told her.

She just laughed at him and tried to break free from his grip, but she couldn't. Eileen had gotten down beside Dan, and helped him into a sitting position, both watching Forrest and Carla intently.

"Eileen said you told her, you are married to Lieutenant Dan." Forrest said.

"We are, so what? I've been with Danny longer than that bitch." She spat.

"You were only with Lieutenant Dan because he was paying you. You like money. And now, Lieutenant Dan has lots of money. I bet you just want some of his money." Forrest said.

Eileen looked over at Dan and smiled softly. That Forrest was smart in his own way. Looking back up at the two, she could se anger clouding over Carla's face.

"I deserve money after puttin' up with that legless freak!" She screamed.

"He is not a freak. He is my best friend." Forrest said calmly, before waling her to the front door and all but pushing her outside.

They could hear her screaming, pounding against the door. She wasn't leaving, so Eileen called the police. Being in a small town, they got there quick and towed her away.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forrest had helped Dan get his leg back on and left Eileen and Dan to talk about what had happened. For the longest time, they just sat in the living room, not speaking. Not even really looking at one another. Eileen was still trying to grasp what had happened. How this woman had found them, that Dan had actually slept with a woman like that. He'd never really gone into detail as to what had happened while he had been in New York, and now that she'd met Carla, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. After a while, Dan cleared his throat and looked up at Eileen.

"New York was a time I tried hard to forget. I was in the peak of my depression, and, being in a wheel chair, having no legs, no job, being an alcoholic, I figured nobody would ever want me. I… I found comfort in women like Carla." He said softly.

"I just don't understand how she was able to find us." Eileen sighed.

"She knew my name, knew I was a cripple. Besides, she's been a tramp for years now, she knows how to get what she wants. Eileen, I want you to know… you're the only one I love, the only one I've ever loved."

Eileen looked across the room at Dan, who was sitting on the couch. He seemed so small and afraid, and she looked away. Seeing Carla had scared her more than she wanted to admit, especially being pregnant, and not really knowing what happened for those ten years she and Dan had been apart. For all she had known, what that woman had said was true. But one look in Dan's eyes told her she was a fool for believing anyone but him. Why would he lie to her, anyway?

Sighing, she got up and wobbled across the room to where he was and sat down beside him, taking his hand. "I don't have to like the fact that you were with the likes of her, and I don't have to like that I don't know what you went through, or who you dealt with. But I love you. And that's, that's all that matters." She said softly.

Dan looked over at her and smiled, pecking her softly. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. But I'm going to make it up to you." He promised.

Eileen laughed and leaned against him, closing her eyes. "She was a bitch, Dan, how could you even touch her?" She teased.

Laughing, Dan stroked his hand over the side of her face, running down her side until his hand came to rest on her baby bump.

"I'm just going to say that I was drunk. That's the best I can come up with." He smirked.

Eileen looked up at him and smiled, kissing him again. "You realize I'm never letting you go, right?" She whispered.

"I look forward to spending the rest of my lift under your captivity."

~T.B.C.~


	9. Chapter 9

Watching the baby's room come together had been one of the things that kept Eileen level headed. She was nervous and excited, and so was Dan, but sitting in the room, rocking in the rocking chair and watching him put things together was relaxing. This baby was going to be so spoiled, that was for sure.

They had just finished supper and Eileen was cleaning the dishes when the pain started. At first, it wasn't anything too bad, but it just kept getting worse until finally she couldn't take it anymore and the plate she had been drying had fallen to the floor and shattered.

"Eileen? Are you okay?" Dan asked, walking into the room.

Her hands were clutching at her stomach and she looked over at him. "Dan, I think it's time." She told him. The way he jumped to action was comical, and she would have laughed if she hadn't been in so much pain.

Dan had called Harold right away and he was on his way with the truck while Dan grabbed the small bag that Eileen had packed for the hospital visit. When he'd come back, Eileen had already put her shoes on and had made her way to the front door. He took her arm and helped her down the stairs and into Harold's truck when he pulled up.

The entire drive to the hospital, Eileen had been squeezing on Dan's hand so tight, he was sure they were going to have to amputate it because of lack of blood flow. But they'd made it to the hospital in once piece, and Dan helped Eileen inside.

"My wife is having a baby." He said, voice full of nervousness and excitement.

"We'll get her all set up, okay? Don't you worry, dear, everything is going to be fine." The nurse smiled at the two.

Another nurse came up and helped Eileen to sit in the wheelchair, and started wheeling her away. Dan started after her, but the nurse sitting behind the desk stopped him. "You can't go with her. I'm sorry, but only the doctors are allowed in their with her. You and your friend are going to have to wait in the waiting room. I'll send someone up with you." She explained.

Dan nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

Yet another nurse escorted Harold and Dan up to the waiting room, and told them that someone would come and let them know if he had a boy or a girl and how Eileen was doing. It was killing him, not being with his wife. Every cry he heard, he wondered if it was his baby, every scream set him on edge. He'd never been around babies before; he didn't know how it worked at a hospital. He felt like someone was hurting his wife, he didn't trust anyone.

"Dan, stop pacing." Harold said softly.

"I can't help it. I want to know. I want to be there. This is ridiculous." Dan growled.

Harold smiled and watched Dan walk back and forth, knowing there was no point in trying to force him to stop. The young man was nervous, clearly.

!

In the delivery room, Eileen was scared. She was in so much pain and there were doctors all around her, touching her, murmuring to the other doctors that she was almost ready, and she wanted to shout at someone to tell her what was going on. The nurse could see she was frustrated and she wiped her forehead with a damp cloth.

"You have to be fully dilated for the baby to be able to come out smoothly. That's what they're talking about." She explained.

"So I'm ready then?" Eileen asked.

"It looks like it. I'm very sorry about the interns as well. You're baby just happened to pick the day when the newbie's are doing their rounds." She joked lightly.

Eileen gave her a half smile, screaming as another contraction ripped through her. She wanted Dan to be beside her so badly, but he wasn't allowed in the room. Which, in her mind was completely idiotic, but there wasn't anything to be done about it.

Finally, the time came when she was told to start pushing, and she pushed with all her might, taking little breaks in between to get enough oxygen back into her body so she wouldn't pass out. The nurse standing beside her head was a Godsend, telling her what a good job she was doing, wiping the sweat out of her eyes and holding her hand. It was clear this woman had given birth, because she was sympathizing with the pain Eileen was going through.

"One more big push, Eileen, and you'll have a baby." The doctor said, and Eileen nodded.

Taking a deep breath, she bared down with all her might, squeezing the hell out of the nurse's hand and screamed in agony. It hurt so badly, but she wanted her baby. The room went quiet for maybe a full two seconds before there was an audible slap, then the sound of crying.

"Congratulations! You have a healthy baby boy!" The doctor announced, and Eileen cried happily.

The babe was held up for her to see briefly before he was whisked away to be cleaned up and dried off, before he would be tested to see if he was healthy. After that, it was off to the nursery with all the other newborns so Daddy could see him for the first time.

!

When someone finally came into the room, Dan rounded quickly, ready to grab this person by the collar and shake until they told him what was going on. "Mr. Taylor, you have a healthy baby boy. Congratulations." The nurse smiled happily.

Dan gasped, a big sappy grin filling his face before he turned back to Harold, who clapped him on the back.

"A boy! A Boy! And Eileen? How is she doing?" He asked.

"She's fine. I can take you to see your son, and then we can go and see your wife." She said softly.

Dan was ready to leave right then and there. He followed the nurse, his heart beating a mile a minute and when she led them to the nursery window, his eyes searched rapidly through the rows of babies. Which one was his? He looked to the nurse who smiled and pointed to a little boy on the far left, the name 'Taylor' on the basket he was lying in.

Dan's hands pressed against the glass. The boy was gorgeous. He was perfect. He had a bit of soft brown hair peeking out from beneath the blue hat he wore, and a cute little nose. His cheeks were round and full, but he was so tiny and so slender. How was Dan going to take care of this delicate little thing? A heavy hand came down on his shoulder, and Dan looked over at Harold. "He's a keeper, that one." He smiled.

"Yeah. He looks like Eileen. So much like her, it's amazing." Dan breathed.

"I can take you to see Eileen now Mr. Taylor." The nurse spoke up. Dan just nodded, transfixed by the baby before he finally turned his gaze away. They didn't have far to walk before they were taken into Eileen's room, and he went to her right away.

"He's beautiful, Eileen, just like you. God, did you see him?" Dan exclaimed, kissing her softly.

"I saw him briefly. He's cute as a button though. Has your eyes, from what I could tell." She smiled back.

Dan smiled softly and sat on the edge of her bed, stroking his hand over her cheek. "I'm so proud of you." He said softly.

"I can't wait to take him home, Danny. What should we call him? He needs a good, strong name." Eileen spoke quietly, almost sleepily.

"You said you liked the name Aiden… I like Mackenzie. What do you think? We could compromise… Aiden Mackenzie Taylor. Or Mackenzie Aiden Taylor. Which do you like best?" Dan asked.

Eileen thought for a minute. Both sounded fine, and it was a hard choice. But she finally just made the choice and smiled up at Dan, reaching for his face with her fingers, caressing him lightly. "We'll name in Mackenzie." She said softly.

Dan chuckled lightly and leaned forward, kissing her once again. "Mackenzie it is, then. You should get some sleep, dear. You must be tired." He said softly.

Eileen nodded and held Dan's hand against her cheek, falling asleep rather quickly. When she was out, Dan turned to the doctor. "When can my wife and my boy come home?" He asked.

"I'd like to keep them here for a few days, four at the most. They're both very healthy, but I want to keep them for observation, just in case." He said.

Dan nodded and looked back down at Eileen, sweeping her damp, matted hair out of her face. Four days would have to do. It would be hell on him, having to wait that long, not being able to stay with them, but it would be worth it. So worth it.


End file.
